Tavares Watch continues

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Derek

As the school year officially comes to a close, July 1 is fast approaching. Though I can’t recall the first day of the free agent frenzy ever coming out on a Sunday. It will this weekend with the usual assortment of TSN coverage picked up by NHL Network.

Even with a weak free agent class, there are still a couple of headliners. None more so than Islanders captain John Tavares. He’s spent the past nine years in both Long Island and Brooklyn. The former top pick of the 2009 NHL Draft has totaled 621 points (272-349-621) in 669 career games. Having only been to the postseason three times where he’s notched 11 goals and 11 assists in 24 playoff contests, the 27-year old Canadian is speaking to five other NHL teams before making his decision.

The five other suitors are the Bruins, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Sharks and Stars. He will meet with the Islanders tonight after talking to Toronto. The Isles are the only team that can offer the extra year. They reportedly offered in the neighborhood of $88 million over eight years, which would project to an average cap hit of $11 million. About what I figured. I said $92 million over eight. So, I was in the right ballpark.

Tavares opted not to speak to the Canadiens, who are a mess. They are actually considering signing former disgraced Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. He spent two months in jail for domestic abuse of his wife a few years ago. That caused the NHL to suspend him from the league. He went home to Russia in the KHL, and also represented his country at the Winter Games where they won a gold medal. This is the same Habs who distanced themselves from P.K. Subban, who is runs a children’s charity at a hospital in Montreal. They traded him for Shea Weber.

Another team not on Tavares’ list was the Rangers. This wasn’t a surprise as they’re the Islanders’ biggest rival and aren’t close to competing. I thought the Golden Knights would be one of the five teams. But somehow, Tampa is in again on another free agent. If they land Tavares, I will eat my shoes. They would have to cut some salary. I didn’t foresee Boston being one of the teams. It strikes me as a odd fit. They did cut David Backes loose.

The Leafs has to be in with Tavares being from Toronto. Imagine if they could convince him to come home and team with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Yikes.

Dallas being in is unsurprising. They could team Tavares with Tyler Seguin for a deadly one-two punch. Jamie Benn plays on the top line. They can seriously contend if Tavares goes there.

The best fit aside from the Islanders is San Jose. Boasting a talented roster that includes Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane, Brent Burns, Martin Jones, the Sharks would be loaded if Tavares joins them. The idea of Tavares on the same roster as Couture, Pavelski and Kane is scary. Not to mention the caveman, Mr. Burns. They would be a serious Stanley Cup threat.

I guess it all depends on Tavares. If he stays put in Brooklyn which will eventually become Belmont, he can be part of the next wave of Islanders. Under Lou Lamoriello and Stanley Cup winning coach Barry Trotz, they have a lot more appeal. Don’t forget ultra talented Calder winner Mathew Barzal. Along with a good crop of forwards that at the moment includes Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier, Tavares staying would make the Islanders formidable up front.

Scoring isn’t the issue. Keeping pucks out of the net is. Lamoriello must find a new starting goalie. He also must address a defense which struggled mightily. Trotz can help with a more defensive system. There will be a renewed commitment to defense. But with Calvin de Haan on the market, the Isles will desperately need to find a suitable replacement. That’s assuming Tavares stays. Scott Mayfield, Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk and Adam Pelech need help.

It would be wise if the organization could get Linus Soderstrom signed. He can then adjust to the pro game in North America at Bridgeport. Ilya Sorokin remains a uncertainty.

What’s the plan with former Garth Snow first round pick Josh Ho-Sang? Is he going to be given a chance or get traded? One thing is certain. Kieffer Bellows is a future star who’s probably a year away. He’s going to be a good scorer. I really enjoyed watching him represent Team USA the past two years at the Under 20 World Junior Championship.

With Lamoriello doing well at last week’s Draft where he landed Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde, the future looks bright. All good reasons for Tavares to stay. Plus free bagels for his family freshly delivered. The hashtag is #bagelsfor91.

Does he want to be part of something special or is he becoming impatient? It’s his call.

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NHL Draft: Rangers go heavy on D, pass up Wilde for 17-year old goalie Lindbom

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Derek

Day Two of the NHL Draft was mostly about defense for the Rangers. Of the six players selected, four were D meaning that the team totaled six blueliners over the two days. Six of the ten picks are D. While there was a need for it, did they take too many at the expense of filling a scoring need?

It seems as if GM Jeff Gorton’s eggs are all in one basket. By going off the board to select talented Russian Vitali Kravtsov at ninth overall last night. He definitely has high end potential. After looking at some highlights, he’s got the size and hands to become something special. It’s a boom or bust pick. They’re banking on him to deliver. It’s the only way to justify not selecting Oliver Wahlstrom, who fell to number 11 right to the Islanders.

Don’t forget the team moved up four spots to grab K’Andre Miller, who really sounds like a mature player that should bolster the blueline in the long run. I love how he told Amanda Borges how he wanted to give back to the community. He seems like a great kid with good upside. Adding a quality skater like Nils Lundkvist at 28 seems good on paper. He’s not flashy but should be a solid NHL player. Maybe not top pair. But a three or four is possible.

I can’t help but wonder why Gordie Clark reached for 17-year old Swedish goalie Olof Lindbom at number 39. He wasn’t ranked as high as some of the other netminders, who were still available. Is goalie really a need with top prospect Igor Shestyerkin a year away from coming to North America? Don’t forget they also have Adam Huska and Tyler Wall in the system. Plus Alexandar Georgiev expected to be the backup goalie behind Henrik Lundqvist.

It’s a puzzling pick. If they were gonna go mostly D, why not take Bode Wilde in that spot? He dropped despite being highly thought of by Pierre McGuire and other scouts. He could’ve been that big, righty defenseman the team lacks. Instead, he fell right into the Islanders’ lap at number 41. Much like the first round with Wahlstrom. Lou Lamoriello really had a great draft.

That isn’t good news for Garden faithful. There was a lot of frustration with this draft. Myself included. It remains to be seen how the players they took will pan out. Hopefully, we’re just overreacting. It’s easy to be negative when it comes to this team’s history. They’ve passed on good players numerous times. We don’t want to revisit anymore nightmares of Rangers past. I almost feel as though I’m describing Scrooge’s Christmas past.

Both Jacob Ragnarsson (son of former NHLer Marcus) and Nico Gross sound like promising prospects. Ragnarsson has the pedigree and Gross sounds like he has the character that Canadians love. I don’t know much on Joey Keane but he plays on the same junior hockey team as Gross. They both play for the Barrie Colts in the OHL. Keane is American while Gross is Swiss. Keane put up 44 points and a hefty plus-45 in ’17-18 while adding seven helpers in the playoffs.

One of the pressing needs remains a righty shooting forward who can finish. Outside of top pivot Mika Zibanejad, the current roster doesn’t boast anyone else who’s a big threat. Jesper Fast is our second best righty. He’s all grit and heart. But not more than a 15-goalscorer in a good year.

I harped on this issue in the last post along with the lack of Finnish players. Well, they finally took one in the fifth round, grabbing Finn Lauri Pajuniemi at number 132. He’s not a big player going 5-11, 182. However, he sounds like a hard worker in the Finnish mold. Watching him speak to Borges in a draft interview, you can tell he was overjoyed and shy. A kid like that is worth rooting for. Here it is:

He obviously has never been to Madison Square Garden. Let’s hope one day he’ll make it. He will get to participate in prospect camp. Always fun to follow.

The final pick was another Swede in defenseman Simon Kjellberg. He went in the sixth round at number 163. There isn’t much on him. I guess I’ll have to look into it.

It’s hard to gauge this draft. It seems like they could’ve done better. Maybe even gotten both Wahlstrom and Kravtsov. Maybe they should’ve moved down if they really loved Kravtsov and recouped another pick. Who knows.

I wonder about all these defensemen and how they’ll fit into the long-term plan. This isn’t a short-term fix. We’re talking about players who are years away. What about Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek, Brandon Crawley and Sean Day? Is Tony DeAngelo still part of the team’s plans? What about John Gilmour or Rob O’Gara? Both seem like fringe NHLers who can be backups.

Will Gorton invest long-term in Brady Skjei or make him earn it on a bridge deal? He doesn’t feel like a top pair guy. Not everyone is. They think Miller has a higher ceiling. I hope that’s true.

What is clear is one thing. The Rangers are going to be bad. For how long, I don’t know. With the Hurricanes making a very interesting five player trade with the Flames by acquiring Dougie Hamilton, unsigned prospect Adam Fox and grinder Michael Ferland in exchange for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, they likely improved. They’re expected to move Jeff Skinner freeing up salary with gifted second overall pick Andrei Svechnikov likely ready. Look for them to trade Justin Faulk.

Everyone in the division is better on paper. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless you’re Henrik Lundqvist. It’s never easy to do this. But it has to be done. I’m glad Ilya Kovalchuk signed with the Kings, fulfilling his destiny. Let them have him.

I guess it’s all about the future.

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Rangers pass on Wahlstrom to take Kravtsov ninth overall, trade up for K’Andre Miller and grab Nils Lundkvist in wild first round

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Derek

The first round of the NHL Draft was completed Friday night in Dallas. It marked the first time they hosted one. Maybe it should be the only instance with some unruly fans booing commissioner Gary Bettman as he spoke about the Humboldt Broncos. It was despicable. I get booing the universally loathed Bettman, who revels in it, always cracking jokes. But the timing was poor. As he said, boo him the rest of the night after the tribute to Humboldt.

Once Bettman got the Draft underway, picks came in fast and furious. As expected, the Sabres took consensus number one Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first overall. He should be able to step in right away and make a impact on the Buffalo blueline. With the club expected to move center Ryan O’Reilly either this weekend or after July 1, there should be more excitement in Western New York.

The Hurricanes quickly went for highly touted Russian scoring forward Andrei Svechnikov with the number two pick. A gifted player with great skill level, he scored 40 goals and added 32 assists in 44 games for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). This is a player who can make a big difference on Carolina, who is expected to move Jeff Skinner tomorrow, freeing up salary. They are not close to re-signing RFA Elias Lindholm. The sides are far apart, which means he could be dealt. One player they should retain is defenseman Noah Hanifin. It would be a huge mistake not to re-sign him.

Following the top two picks, things didn’t go as expected. With the third pick, the Canadiens passed on Filip Zadina to grab rising Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. A player who sounds very complete as most Finns are. Considering the draft need for a center along with the rumors they were high on him, it wasn’t too surprising. Most Montreal fans preferred Zadina, who slipped to number six where the Red Wings surprisingly grabbed the high scoring Czech right wing, who scored 44 goals with 38 assists in 57 games for Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Most expected Detroit to go D and select American prospect Quinn Hughes. Instead, he fell to seven where the Canucks grabbed him.

Picking fourth, the Senators had highly ranked American forward Brady Tkachuk fall into their lap. There had been some talk that perhaps Montreal was interested. Instead, the youngest son of Keith Tkachuk goes to Ottawa where he’ll be a focal point of their rebuild. Similar to older brother Matthew Tkachuk, who is adept at scoring in front of the net for Calgary, Brady combines strong skating with nice touch and edge. He definitely was a player I would’ve liked to see the Rangers trade up for. But it was painfully obvious that wasn’t in the cards. Ottawa is the midst of a revamp, which will include moving defenseman Erik Karlsson this summer. Unless they have a change of heart and think they can re-sign him, the superb two-time Norris winner will have a new home. They’ll continue to be a interesting team to follow following the Mike Hoffman/Karlsson mess involving Hoffman’s fiancée, who stalked Karlsson’s wife. At least Hoffman was dealt. They just didn’t foresee San Jose rerouting him to Florida.

At number five, Arizona reached for center Barrett Hayton. A Canadian player from Ontario with character, who has played for Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL. He registered 21 goals and 39 assists in 63 games during the season. His playoff performance must’ve helped. He tallied 21 points (8-13-21) in 24 games. There were higher rated players available such as Zadina, Wahlstrom, Adam Boqvist, Hughes, Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard. They would fall like dominoes afterwards.

After Detroit surprised some by taking the high scoring Zadina at number six, the Canucks went for defense with top rated American prospect Hughes. A very smooth skater who isn’t the biggest in stature (5-10, 170), the left shooting D from Orlando will help the Vancouver blueline. He can really fly and jump into the play offensively. He represented Team USA well at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship. In his freshman year at the University of Michigan, Hughes did well posting five goals and 24 assists in 37 contests. He is going to be fun to watch. Ironically, younger brother Jack Hughes is the projected first overall pick in next year’s Draft. He spoke to NHL Network’s Jackie Redmond about his brother’s maturity.

The big question when Chicago picked was would Wahlstrom fall. Given that the Blackhawks have an aging blueline with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook no longer the same players, the answer was yes. The Blackhawks went for Boqvist. The righty Swede can score with the best of them, even drawing comparisons to Karlsson. A couple of concussions set him back, which probably explains why he slipped. Only listed at 5-9, 154, he’ll obviously need to get stronger. He’s very fast and has a good shot. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly he progresses on a now rebuilding team even though they still have Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

I was clamoring for the Rangers to take Wahlstrom. A classic North American scoring forward, who could project as one of the best finishers in this Draft. Of course, it was too good to be true. As soon as Pierre McGuire mentioned how much they loved Russian Vitali Kravtsov, I knew he was the pick. It’s not that he won’t turn out good. He sounds like a potential first liner but has a year left with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). When it comes down to taking Russian players, there’s always a risk they could stay for a while. I’m hopeful Kravtsov, who goes 6-3, 170, can develop well and come over to North America in ’19-20. I just wonder what Gordie Clark was thinking. With some ranking him as low as 24, what was the rush? I would’ve preferred Wahlstrom, who from all accounts sounds like a can’t miss. He’ll go play for Boston College in the Fall. But it’ll be as a member of the dreaded Islanders, who scooped him up with the number 11 pick. They also landed Dobson. A high scoring Canadian defense prospect who put up 69 points (17-52-69) in 67 games for Acadia-Bathurst of the QMJHL. It sounds like Lou Lamoriello did it once again at the expense of the Rangers. Cue the flashbacks to Hugh Jessiman going before Zach Parise. Maddening.

Edmonton also did well landing Bouchard at number 10. They desperately needed a defenseman. The big Canadian exploded for 87 points (25-62-87) in 67 contests for the London Knights of the OHL. Yikes. Imagine what he could do with Connor McDavid. Oh boy.

At number 17, the Devils went with D landing Canadian Ty Smith. He’s played for Spokane of the Western Hockey League (WHL) where he went 14-59-73 in 69 games. Impressive numbers for sure for the left shooting defenseman who’s listed at 5-10, 176. If he pans out, New Jersey could have him along with impressive Will Butcher, who paced all rookie blueliners in points (44). A definite need for a improving team that now boasts the first ever Hart winner in franchise history, Taylor Hart Hall. Combined with Nico Hischier, they’ll continue to be lethal.

Committed to a rebuild, the Rangers had two more first rounders thanks to trades with Boston and Tampa Bay. They originally had the number 26 and 28th overall picks. But they decided they liked someone enough to move up to number 22 where they grabbed potential steal K’Andre Miller. A big defenseman who goes 6-3, 206 from Hopkins, Minnesota, the African American left shooting D spent the past two years playing for the U.S. National Team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Raved about by the TSN panel, they loved the pick. To get him, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton swapped the number 26 and the number 48 picks (second round) to move up four spots. Most intriguing is Miller made the switch from forward to D at age 15. He sounds like a guy with big time potential. Exactly what the Rangers need.

Their final pick was a somewhat familiar name. They took defenseman Nils Lundkvist from Sweden at number 28. No. Not that Lundqvist. It is spelled differently. I’ve heard of him due to Lundkvist representing Sweden at the WJC. Not as highly touted as teammates Dahlin or Boqvist, he is a good skating D who plays more of a two-way game. He sounds pretty cool when hearing him interviewed.

Considering that one of the pressing needs was defense, the Blueshirts addressed that area with the additions of Miller and Lundkvist. Both are lefties. I’m wondering about the two prospects they picked up from Boston and Tampa. Where do Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek fit in? Both are 20 and will be looked at in training camp.

There’s still a need for a right defenseman. It’s interesting to note that nobody took Bode Wilde in Round One. Why not? McGuire couldn’t understand it. Now listed at 6-4, 198, he sounds like a dream. The American prospect, who combines size and strength with good skating ability as evidenced by his 11 goals and 25 assists for the US Development Team. He was ranked 17th among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Three spots lower than Devils pick Smith. Someone could wind up with a steal on Saturday.

The other need in my book is a righty shooter who can finish. Let’s face it. The Rangers under Gorton, Glen Sather and Clark love lefty shooters. How many is enough? Outside of Mika Zibanejad, they don’t boast enough quality righties who can snipe. Last year’s first round picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil are lefty centers. Kevin Hayes is a lefty. Chris Kreider is too. Mats Zuccarello is lefty and mostly a passer. Pavel Buchnevich is basically the same. Are we sensing a trend?

Until they address the lack of a right-handed shooter, they’ll be easy to defend. Zibanejad is the only quality righty they got. That doesn’t cut it. Neither does passing on North American players who can project as that top finisher the team has lacked.

Finally, when is the last time this team took a Finn? You have to go all the way back to Lauri Korpikoski, who was part of the regretful Brian Leetch deal with Toronto. A Sather special. Most Finnish players are polished. They play the game hard and don’t take shifts off. Korpedo had a nice career in a secondary checking role. He wasn’t great but fared well with the Coyotes after that awful trade.

If they want to preach change, I’m all for it. Even if that means finishing in last place in our division the next two to three years. But they need to not be so predictable. Get tougher. It can’t always be about skating and finesse. That doesn’t work. You need a combination of both. We’ll see what Day Two brings.

Keep an eye on Max Pacioretty and Jeff Skinner. Both are expected to be moved. Figure there to be some real trades later today. John Carlson is also close to re-signing with the Capitals before Sunday. That’s when he can talk with other teams prior to July 1.

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Report: Islanders and Trotz close in

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Derek

The expected is about to happen. Once Barry Trotz left his post with the Capitals after guiding them to their first Stanley Cup, he was going to become the next coach of the New York Islanders. The only question was would Minnesota have interest.

It looks like it’s definitely happening. With the first round of the NHL Draft a day away, figure Lou Lamoriello to announce the hiring of Trotz. He will no longer be underpaid. But make a reported salary of $4 million per season in Brooklyn, and eventually Belmont.

Both Darren Dreger and Elliotte Friedman reported it on Twitter. Here’s a tweet from Friedman on the particulars.

https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/1009833631680991234?s=21

For the Islanders, it gives them more stability as a franchise. They are clearly headed in the right direction under new President and GM Lamoriello, who knows a thing or two about being a successful executive. Even now, he’s doing things his way. The country club atmosphere is dead.

Next, figure them to convince John Tavares to stay and sign an eight-year contract worth around $90 million. That would be an AAV of $11.25 million per season. Maybe a little less. Who knows.

Assuming Tavares re-signs, they still need a goalie and a defenseman. I’m sure Lamoriello will address both needs in short order. He’s not messing around. The Islanders are no joke anymore.

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Taylor Hart Hall wins MVP on emotional Awards night

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Derek

https://twitter.com/ardaocaltv/status/1009621521164189696?s=21

This wasn’t your normal Awards show. Once again, the NHL celebrated its best in Las Vegas. In a longer than usual show, there was plenty of emotion and tears for hockey fans, players, etc.

The highlight for me was the emotional first ever presentation of the Willie O’ Ree Award, which recognizes the person most dedicated to the community.

It was over two months ago that tragedy struck the Humboldt Broncos as their bus traveling to a playoff game crashed into a tractor trailer. Sixteen didn’t survive. That included well respected coach/GM Darcy Haugan. On a night 10 of the 13 survivors reunited on stage to thunderous applause from the crowd, the Humboldt Broncos were there as their coach was announced the winner by O’ Ree. His wife Christina Haugan accepted the award in his honor, making an emotional speech about what her husband was all about. The team and fair play. It was emotional to see her up there with those players, including a couple in wheelchairs. Injuries prevented three from attending. They’re still recovering in the hospital.

I can’t imagine there were any dry eyes left after that. This wasn’t just any award. It was special and paid tribute to Haugan’s dedication as a community hero. Something O’ Ree can relate to for breaking the color barrier in hockey. He should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s such a classy and elegant man. Very soft spoken and always donning his classic hat, I hope one day he makes it in Toronto.

The awards themselves went pretty much to form. Mathew Barzal won the Calder, besting Brock Boeser and Clayton Keller. Barzal becomes the first New York Islander to win Rookie of The Year since Bryan Berard in ’96-97. The 21-year old Barzal is the fifth Islander to ever win the Calder, joining Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Berard.

Pekka Rinne took home his first ever Vezina as the league’s top goalie. He easily outdistanced runner-up Connor Hellebuyck with Andrei Vasilevskiy finishing third. The lone surprise was Vasilevskiy didn’t receive one first place vote. He won 44 games and had eight shutouts for Tampa. The best part of the presentation was having emergency winning Blackhawks goalie Scott Foster announce the winner with noted Chicago fan Jim Belushi. That was nice.

The Norris went to Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman. His first after a standout season for the Lightning. He beat out runner-up Drew Doughty with 94 first place votes. Forty-two more than the former Norris winner. P.K. Subban finished a distant third followed by future winner Seth Jones.

Anze Kopitar took home the Selke for league’s best defensive forward. He edged Sean Couturier with Patrice Bergeron coming in third. I don’t have any issue with Kopitar winning. He’s been overlooked throughout a brilliant career. I’m glad he was recognized with a nomination for the Hart. I would’ve voted for Couturier. He was awesome on a Flyers team that wasn’t expected to make the playoffs. Bergeron could win it every year. He’s one of my favorite players. Aleksander Barkov came in fourth. He could be a Hart candidate next season.

Vegas Golden Knight William Karlsson won the Lady Byng. He was a good choice as the top center who was third in goals scored, is a clean player who plays the game the right way. Ryan O’Reilly finished runner-up. He’s expected to be moved soon by the Sabres. Barkov was third followed by Kopitar.

The Jack Adams went to none other than deserving Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. He beat out Bruce Cassidy and Jared Bednar. I know Boston wasn’t expected to be that good due to a influx of rookies. But they still had arguably the best line in Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. How did Bednar finish behind Cassidy? And why was John Hynes only sixth? At least there were no votes for Alain Vigneault.

GM of The Year was none other than George McPhee. He did a masterful job building the Golden Knights. He also was largely responsible for the Stanley Cup champion Capitals, who bested the Knights in five. I liked the irony of Nicklas Backstrom presenting him.

Mark Messier presented his Leadership Award to Deryk Engelland. I really loved the choice. He was the emotional leader of Vegas following the tragedy. A Vegas resident, the rugged defenseman was a true leader on and off the ice. He was very deserving, beating out Wayne Simmonds and Blake Wheeler. He epitomized the toughness and resiliency of the Golden Knights.

Alexander Ovechkin was outside celebrating during his latest win of the Rocket Richard as the game’s top goalscorer. He would later be one of four winners to present the most talked about award. The Hart Trophy. Joined on the stage by Eric Lindros, it was cool to see them announce Taylor Hall as the winner of the league MVP. He’s the first Devil ever to win the prestigious award, and is quite deserving. The way he carried his team while hurt in the second half was amazing. The voting was a little strange. How did anyone have Hall or runner-up Nathan MacKinnon not in the top three. Fifteen writers are fools who didn’t see what MacKinnon did for the Avalanche. Seven ignored Hall. There were 30 total votes for the game’s best player and back-to-back Art Ross recipient Connor McDavid, in the top three. I don’t see how. The Oilers stunk. Anyway, here’s the voting.

https://mobile.twitter.com/thephwa/status/1009621322207584256?s=21

To say this was perplexing would be the understatement. How do these people get to cover games when they don’t watch half the time? The vote should’ve been closer. Kopitar finished third followed by Claude Giroux, and rounded out by McDavid. Oh btw…Sidney Crosby had one total vote. How times have changed.

Well, now the moniker will stick. He truly is Taylor Hart Hall. What he said in his speech about Humboldt was truly touching. All class. He thanked the Devils and his teammates.

Lastly, Brian Boyle deservedly won the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship to hockey. His courageous battle with cancer and successful comeback was truly inspiring. He really is a great person. Someone many people can learn from. I’m so happy for him and his family. Congrats Brian. #BoyleStrong!

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Rangers open up at home against Nashville, trading Hayes is risky unless it’s a home run

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Derek

Yesterday, the preseason schedule was announced. It wasn’t too revealing. The usual allotment of games for the Rangers against rivals, the Islanders, Devils and Flyers. The only thing I hope is that there will be more evaluation of whatever prospects they take on Friday. They have picks 9, 26 and 28 in the first round.

As for the regular season schedule, it’s out. What I do know for sure is the Blueshirts open up at MSG to host Nashville on October 4.

So, the 2018-19 season begins early. That’s good. Six preseason games is as many as they should play every year. It’s enough time for the coaching staff to make up their minds. I’ve always been a proponent of less exhibition due to the risk of key players getting hurt.

Given that the current roster at the moment lacks a top pair defenseman and the firepower to score consistently up front, it’s probably going to be a long season. Rebuilds take time.

Depending on what GM Jeff Gorton decides this weekend with a surplus of picks, two possible RFA’s in Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov, who could be used as trade bait, that’ll go a long way to determining the Rangers’ future.

There’s also been talk about teams having interest in key Group II free agent Kevin Hayes. Considering how well he handled a new shutdown role under former coach Alain Vigneault, I’m not keen on trading him unless it’s a no-brainer that brings back a legit scorer in the top four, who can start on the top line and make the impact few high Rangers draft picks ever do.

Hayes scored a career best 25 goals while facing opponents’ best scoring lines, doing a solid job. He improved defensively becoming a strong penalty killer, who can be counted on in any role. He wasn’t used as much on the power play but when given the opportunity, fared well. He’s the best five-on-five forward they got.

I understand that it’ll cost Chris Kreider money to re-sign him. Hayes could be in line for in between $4.75 million to $5 million on average. He’s got good value after changing his game. So, I get why other teams would be interested.

The Rangers have a logjam at center due to incumbent number one Mika Zibanejad, and teenagers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. So, it’ll be interesting to see what the organization decides.

We’ll have more on the Rangers leading up to Friday’s draft.

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Senators trade Hoffman to Sharks, Panthers acquire him

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Derek

Following last week’s chaotic reveal regarding Mike Hoffman’s psycho fiancé and Erik Karlsson’s poor wife, it was evident that Ottawa would be making changes to their roster. They moved quickly trading Hoffman to the Sharks with Cody Donaghy and a 2020 fifth round pick on Tuesday for Mikkel Boedker, Julius Bergman and a 2020 sixth round pick.

The Senators couldn’t keep Hoffman after the rumors regarding his girlfriend stalking Karlsson’s wife, which was supported by ex-teammates’ significant others. A good top six forward, Hoffman was on the move again. San Jose had already re-signed Evander Kane and have a good roster featuring Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Brent Burns, and Martin Jones. The question is will they bring back popular former MVP Joe Thornton for one more year.

What Ottawa didn’t anticipate was the Sharks redirecting Hoffman and a 2018 seventh round pick to the Panthers for a 2019 second round pick, plus a fourth and fifth round pick in this year’s Draft.

So, Hoffman wound up back in Ottawa’s division on a good Florida team that could finally break through. The Panthers have added a good secondary scorer to a lineup that features emerging star Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, Evgeny Dadonov, Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad and Roberto Luongo. Adding Hoffman to this lineup should make them a playoff team. More bad news for the Senators.

Ottawa isn’t done. Karlsson could be next. Considering he’s entering his last year before next summer, expect the Ottawa captain to move. It’s not like cheapskate owner Eugene Melnyk will pay up.

So, you have some more fun before the first round of the Draft. That includes tomorrow night’s awards show in Vegas. I don’t have much interest other than seeing who wins the Hart. Taylor Hall, Anze Kopitar or Nathan MacKinnon?

Friday sets up to be intriguing following Buffalo taking Rasmus Dahlin. Lately, projections have Filip Zadina slipping possibly to nine where the Rangers are. I would sign up for that. I think the first two picks are Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov. After that, who knows. We know the names but don’t know the order when Montreal picks. It should be fun.

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Trotz resigns from Capitals, Islanders next?

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Derek

In a unsurprising move even if it shocked some in the hockey community, Barry Trotz resigned from the Capitals. He will no longer coach the team he finally guided to its first Stanley Cup. He becomes the fourth coach to win the Cup and walk away.

Instead, the proven Cup winner, who did a masterful job this Spring, will become the biggest coaching free agent. Considering that he was only making $1.5 million, it’s understandable why he left his post. He was also a lame duck coach without a contract unless the Capitals won. Even though they did, he didn’t want to stay for two more years for a slight raise when he can get more money on the market.

When you have a new coach like the Rangers’ David Quinn getting paid much more, it speaks to how cheap Washington was. Even though I respect owner Ted Leonsis, there’s no way Trotz should’ve been paid so little. At least in coaching terms. He’s been around the game for two decades after coming over from Nashville.

As for who could come calling, look no further than the Islanders in Brooklyn. With Lou Lamoriello at the helm making sweeping changes, Trotz makes plenty of sense for a team looking to change its image. They need a good coach who can change the culture. I’ve thought for a while this was the move Lamoriello would make once Trotz became available. Now that he is, I expect him to move quickly.

The only other candidate is Toronto Marlies Calder Cup winner Sheldon Keefe. A rising coach who eventually could take over for Mike Babcock with the Maple Leafs if he stays. But he’s never coached in the NHL before.

The Islanders under Lamoriello are operating differently. They’ll likely re-sign John Tavares and make other key moves to improve their playoff chances in a tough division. It seems likely that Trotz will be the next coach. We’ll see what happens.

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Rangers offseason crucial to future

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Derek

It’s been a while since so much depended on the NHL Draft for the Rangers. A team used to postseason success, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for just the second time since Henrik Lundqvist was a rookie in ’05-06. They finished dead last in the Metro Division with 77 points.

As a result, they’ll pick ninth overall in the first round of this Friday’s 2018 NHL Draft. In a rebuild for the first time with Lundqvist the starting goalie, it’ll be interesting to see what Rangers GM Jeff Gorton decides to do this offseason. Having acquired extra picks in the first three rounds, it’s a chance to change the script.

In so many past summers, the Rangers were devoid of a surplus of draft picks. This was due to former architect Glen Sather sacrificing first round picks and even second rounders in trades for proven stars such as Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis and Keith Yandle. All moves that risked youth in an attempt to go for it. None which can be criticized with a prime Lundqvist on the roster. He did overpay for St. Louis but the team made its only Stanley Cup appearance since 1994. They didn’t get it done, losing to the Kings in 2014.

The risk of doing business this way finally came back to haunt them. Former coach Alain Vigneault ran out of time to keep the team competitive. The turning point remains the no show in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final. A Lightning 2-0 shutout at MSG that basically ended a run of three Conference Final trips in four years. A gut wrenching six-game second round series loss to Ottawa in 2016 should’ve been a signal for a coaching change. Instead, management kept Vigneault too long, resulting in the team’s worst season since the pre-lockout Dark Ages Era.

Now, a new era is upon us. Former Boston University head man David Quinn takes over as coach, making the leap from the college ranks to the NHL. Something that’s been done recently by Dave Hakstol in Philadelphia. There haven’t been many college coaches to make the jump. Quinn gets his first chance as a NHL bench boss in the Big Apple. An opportunity he couldn’t pass up after much thought and consideration.

With Quinn still an assistant coach short on his staff, that should be decided very soon. Lindy Ruff has been retained as a bird’s eye view. What role he’ll have remains to be seen. He brings experience. Hopefully, he’ll have a more positive influence than his first year under Vigneault, whose defensive system chased away Ulf Samuelsson and Jeff Beukeboom. Who else will be added? Benoit Allaire is still the goalie coach. A must given the success he’s had.

While filling out the staff is a must, the most important thing is what the organization decides between this draft weekend and July when free agency begins. Gorton has his work cut out for him. With a number of key restricted’s due raises, including Kevin Hayes, he must decide which players are worth investing in. Hayes improved in a shutdown checking role, scoring a career high 25 goals. He excelled as a match-up center who improved on face-offs, and was a fixture on the penalty kill. Does he get Chris Kreider money on a new contract that could buy up free agent years? Or is it a shorter term due to a surplus of centers thanks to teenagers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil? What roles will the two 2017 first round picks have?

Mika Zibanejad is the clearcut first line center due to his talent. He hit 27 goals last season despite missing time due to a concussion. He was a fixture on the power play netting 14 of his 27 goals on the man-advantage. The shoot first righty pivot must improve at five-on-five when matched up against opponents’ best players. He is capable of scoring 30 goals and reaching between 65-70 points. He’ll be leaned on in more of a leadership role on a rebuilding club not expected to make the playoffs.

Assuming Hayes stays, he’ll be one of those veterans looked upon to provide leadership. Chris Kreider remains the team’s most impactful forward. After returning from rib resection surgery due to a blood clot, he was a different player. The 27-year old showed more consistency towards the end of last season, scoring and setting up goals while playing a more determined game. Off the ice, he was willing to talk candidly to reporters about the youthful mistakes from some of the newcomers, keeping a more positive mindset. Possessing the size, speed and strength, Kreider will be looked to for more consistency in production. He’s fully capable of 30 goals and 30 assists while providing the net front presence he developed under Vigneault. If he takes that next step finally, you could be looking at the next Rangers captain.

Veteran playmaker Mats Zuccarello is expected to return for the ’18-19 season. Entering the final year of a contract with an AAV of $4.5 million, he’ll turn 31 on Sept. 1 before training camp. The pint sized Norwegian with the big heart remains a capable scorer, who prefers to set up teammates. He didn’t shoot the puck enough last season and saw his defensive play slip. He still led the team in scoring with 53 points. Playing for a new contract, there’s plenty of motivation for Zucc. A intense player who admittedly plays like a rat due to his size, he isn’t a top line guy anymore. He’s better suited in a secondary role on the second line. He’ll still get power play time but needs to not be so predictable.

Even though I believe Pavel Buchnevich needs to improve certain aspects of his game, he should get first crack on the first line with Zibanejad and Kreider. His career best 29 assists and 43 points are good. The 14 goals are a little low due to a reluctance to shoot. I’d like to see the third-year Russian look shot more and get to 20 goals. His passing acumen is high, especially on the power play. Thirty to thirty-five assists should be attainable. He’ll need to improve his physicality. At times, he was taken off the puck too easily. Becoming a strong player will help his development.

In assessing the direction they’ll take, much depends on key decisions with other RFA’s including former Boston University alum Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Spooner, Vladislav Namestnikov, and 24-year old defenseman Brady Skjei. Gorton could decide to sign Skjei to a smart long-term cap friendly deal. Though I’m not sold on him as a top pair guy based off last season. He enters Year Three looking to improve. Vesey can be given a short-term deal to prove himself under a college coach familiar with him. He has the size and work ethic but must find consistency. There’s no reason he can’t become a 20-25 goalscorer in a more defined role.

Spooner and Namestnikov are the wildcards. Spoon Man is a year away from unrestricted free agency, producing four goals and 12 assists after coming over from Boston. He could have more value as a trade chip to move up. Namestnikov was a disaster with four points in 19 contests following the blockbuster with Tampa that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Bolts for prospects Libor Hajek and Brett Howden. The deal also includes a second round pick this year and a conditional first next year if Tampa wins the Stanley Cup.

On a team devoid of elite talent, Gorton’s main priority is to land a impact player at the Draft. Can he parlay the ninth overall pick, extra picks and possibly Spooner or Namestnikov to move into the top four? Forwards Filip Zadina, Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk, Oliver Wahlstrom all await. Adam Boqvist, Quinn Hughes, Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard all are available as defensemen.

With uncertainty surrounding a paper thin free agent class that could become thinner if John Tavares and John Carlson re-sign before July 1, there’s not much out there. Not unless Gorton thinks he can land a proven scorer like James van Riemsdyk or gritty veteran such as James Neal. There’s not much to be had. I wouldn’t mind toughening up the fourth line with either Antoine Roussel or Ryan Reaves. This team lacks grit. For proof, look how the Capitals won. Not only with skill but the annoying Tom Wilson, and Devante Smith-Pelly.

To succeed in this league, you need a combination of both skill and physicality. If you don’t have players (Boyle, Moore, Girardi, Staal) willing to get the jersey dirty, you will be easy to play against. A lesson learned from the recent vanilla Vigneault rosters. It needs to be built in Quinn’s personality. He emphasizes defense. Let’s see how it translates this summer.

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Devils’ offseason approaches with question marks

Posted on June 17, 2018 by hasan4978

It’s been nearly two months since the Devils’ 2017-18 season ended in Tampa Bay, five games later than most pundits thought it would end in the first round of the playoffs after a 97-point season that surprised the hockey world and ended the organization’s six-year postseason drought.  Not too long ago a 97-point season and a first-round exit would have been considered a failure by Devils standards, but coming off a 70-point season the year before 2017-18 can only be described as a rousing success – with a resurgent star in Taylor Hall, young guns like Nico Hischier and a backup goalie in Keith Kinkaid leading them through a scintillating 10-2-1 run down the stretch to clinch a berth in game #81 against the Maple Leafs with former GM and franchise czar Lou Lamoriello in the building.

What’s changed in the two months since the Devils’ 3-1 defeat against the Eastern Conferences’s top regular season team?  Not much yet, although there will be a couple of coaching changes on the docket with assistant Geoff Ward departing to take a similar position in Calgary, and fellow assistant Ryane Clowe leaving for a head coaching position with Newfoundland in the ECHL.  For once there aren’t many pending UFA’s to have angst over leaving on July 1 – the biggest names are defenseman John Moore (not likely to return) and deadline acquisition Patrick Maroon, who it came out was dealing with a herniated disc in his back but still managed to contribute 13 points in 17 games after coming over to the Devils.  Despite his lack of footspeed, Maroon fit into the team far better than fellow deadline acquistion Michael Grabner – who looked like he’d rather be elsewhere and was so bad he wound up being scratched for the team’s final two playoff games.  Don’t expect Grabner to return either.

Maroon wasn’t the only Devil who went for offseason surgery…as it turned out Hart Trophy finalist Taylor Hall was playing with torn ligaments in his hand from late December on.  Remarkable, considering he actually upped his game in the second half of the season.  Also, Cory Schneider had hip surgery which is expected to sideline him for a whopping five months (re: it’ll be iffy at best if he’s ready for the start of the season in October).  I’d be remiss if I didn’t start eating a plate of crow for downplaying the belief Cory was playing hurt after his groin injury in January, which actually wasn’t the cause of most of his issues physically since ostensibly the groin was fully healed when he came back into the lineup and struggled, but his cryptic comment about how this was he was as good as he was going to get when he came off IR, it would seem had to do with his hip more than his groin.  At least for Cory’s sake he was able to get a form of redemption for a dissapointing 2018 in his last three games of the season, Games 3-5 against Tampa were clearly his best of this calendar year and re-established him as the starter heading into 2018-19 despite Kinkaid’s inspiring six-week surge that helped carry the team to the playoffs.

With the NHL playoffs now over after a thrilling climax where (as SI put it) The Great Wait ended at last with one of hockey’s transcendent figures in Alex Ovechkin getting his long-sought Cup, next week begins the transition from 2017-18 to 2018-19, with the NHL Awards on Wednesday night, schedules coming out the following afternoon and the draft on Friday and Saturday with the FA interview period early the following week, events will start to accelerate fast heading into UFA day two weeks from now.  I won’t do a full preview of the Devils’ offseason in case some big draft-day deal happens although it would be hard to imagine the Devils dealing their first rounder considering they’ve already dealt off their 2nd and 3rd rounders in this draft.

I’ll say if you’re a fan looking for John Carlson to improve the defense, be prepared to pay through the nose after the recent eight-year contract at $8 million plus per season Oliver Ekman-Larsson signed to stay in Arizona.  It would also be hard to envision the Devils throwing out a big contract to any RD given that’s clearly their stronger side headed by Sami Vatanen while the left side could use a serious upgrade given Andy Greene’s decline and Moore’s departure.  And no, Mirco Mueller is not the long-term answer.  He’s more like the new Jon Merrill – a third-pairing plodder who won’t hurt you but won’t really help you either.  Will Butcher could develop into more of a two-way threat but how many top pairing defensemen do you see that are 5’10 and 190 pounds with average speed?

It’s also hard at this point to see them signing the key prize of this year’s FA crop in John Tavares.  Given the Isles’ recent organization restructuring that booted GM Garth Snow and coach Doug Weight out in favor of new franchise czar Lamoriello (yep, another change of address for the ageless Lou this offseason, this time back into the Metro area), it would seem evident they’re bent on convincing JT that the Isles aren’t looking to stay in neutral any longer.  With two early first-round picks, the smart money has Lou spending at least one of them in a trade towards an immediate improvement to a team that struggled last year but still has some talent worth building around.  While it seems that JT will at least get to the FA interview period it’s still likely he takes the extra contract year – which is off the table on July 1 – and re-signs with the Isles just before FA a la Steven Stamkos in Tampa a couple years ago.

If the Devils can’t spend money on the big FA’s, it seems obvious they’ll keep going with smaller signings and more under-the-radar trades to supplement building from within, possibly using 2019 picks or their lone top pick in 2018 and their cap space as a wedge to help another team out of a cap bind.  GM Ray Shero has come up with late-July surprises every year so far as Devils GM with his draft-day trade for Kyle Palmieri three years ago followed by the Hall for Adam Larsson heist a couple years ago.  Last year’s post-draft trade for Marcus Johansson didn’t work as well as the first two did in part due to the winger’s injuries.  It’s hard to envision a fourth at the moment but Shero’s patience has paid off in the past, and the GM knows this team still needs more to make the leap from upstart to contender.

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